Fast Friday & Saturday Night Championship Events Includes New Four-Week Sunoco Drive For The Cup; |
2023 Seekonk Speedway Event Schedule | |
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SEEKONK, Mass. – Seekonk Speedway announced today that the Spectator Drags Series will return in 2023 with a 10-event schedule. The Spectator Drags will compete across both Saturday night racing and Thrill Show events to make-up the 10 races.
The series will begin on Saturday, May 20, and continue as part of the Memorial Day Thrill Show on Saturday, May 27. From there, the competition will continue during the first of two Monster Truck shows on Sunday, June 18, then Saturday night action on July 1.
Up next, cars will thrill fans at the Independence Day Thrill Show on Saturday, July 8. The series will have nearly a month off after that until the Midsummer Thrill Show on Saturday, August 5, then the final Monster Truck show of the season on Sunday, August 13. Two of the final three races to determine the championship will take place at the Labor Day Thrill Show on Saturday, September 2 and Saturday night action on September 16. The 2023 Spectator Drag champion will be crowned on Saturday, October 13 at the Pumpkin Smash Thrill Show.
“Our Spectator Drag Series continues to grow every year and 2023 should see the series hit a new level,” David Alburn, Director of Competition at Seekonk Speedway, said. “They are a major part of our Thrill Shows, and also give fans a great show to start select Saturday nights. We are looking forward to having another great series in 2023.”
For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates.
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SEEKONK, Mass. — NASCAR has finalized the National point standings for all divisions across the country and Seekonk Speedway competitors are well-represented inside all divisions.
Division III saw Chad Baxter pick up the National Northeast championship, actually besting out Seekonk track champion “Captain Fun” Craig Pianka by 50 points. Pianka would finish second, with New Hampshire driver Ricky Bly coming home third. Baxter also finished fifth in the Division III National championship against hundreds of drivers from across the country, one year after winning that crown. Pianka wasn’t far behind nationally — finishing 13th.
In Division IV, Seekonk Chaz Auto Body Sport Truck champion Rick Martin not only won the Track title in the Sunoco Drive For The Cup, but also excelled nationally. Martin was the winner of the Northeast Regional points for Division IV, besting his fellow Sport Truck competitor Barry Shaw and New Hampshire driver Gordon Farnum. Seekonk regulars Brittany Campbell and Mike Duarte finished the top-five in these standings. Martin also was able to finish third in the National points for Division IV out of hundreds of competitors — with Shaw finishing eighth in the overall Division IV points overall.
Seekonk’s Pro Stock eight-time champion Dave Darling may not have won the track title this year, but he was the highest Pro Stock driver in the NASCAR points across the country. Darling finished 18th in the Northeast regional points for Division I and also was 94th overall in the country in Division I points.
Seven-time Seekonk Late Model champion Gerry DeGasparre Jr. finished fifth in the regional points for Division II in the Northeast with multiple feature wins. DeGasparre was also able to post the 17th best total across the country in Division II.
Seekonk Speedway is pleased to see so many of our weekly competitors finish so high in such a competitive point standings throughout the country.
For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest information.
SEEKONK, Mass. – Seekonk Speedway announced today that Sunoco Race Fuels will return as the sponsor of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup in 2023. The Drive For The Cup, ready to move to a four-race series in the new season, will help to crown all nine of Seekonk Speedway’s 2023 champions, spanning across both Fast Friday and NASCAR Saturday.
The Drive For The Cup produced some of the most thrilling moments in recent Seekonk history during the 2022 season – including Mark Jenison winning both the Late Model and Pro Stock titles – including a wild final corner that saw Jenison on his side up against the wall coming across the finish line. It also produced polished champions on both nights for all nine of Seekonk’s divisions. All drivers who made it to become champion lived up to the pressure of the moment – something the fans loved, and the new year will be even more exciting.
Additional changes surrounding the 2023 Sunoco Drive For The Cup will be announced at a later date.
“Last year was the ground floor for the playoff series at Seekonk and the inaugural year was awesome,” John Holland from Sunoco Race Fuels said. “The enhancements that are being made to the playoff system are only going to make it even more exciting. It’s great to see the first year in the books and we are looking forward to another exciting Sunoco Drive For The Cup in 2023.”
Sunoco Race Fuels have been associated with racing excellence for decades. Since the mid 1960s, when Sunoco and Roger Penske Racing forged what would be a long and successful alliance, the company has grown into an industry powerhouse. Today, Suncoo has expanded their reach of racing fuels around the world to include all types of professional motorsports and more. For more information on Sunoco, visit SunocoRaceFuels.com.
For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates.
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Seekonk Speedway announced today the opening of online ticket sales for the holiday season for race fans to purchase for their friends and family! Seekonk Speedway tickets are the perfect stocking stuffer for everyone who loves weekly motorsports right here at the Action Track of the East throughout the summer months.
Seekonk Speedway is committed to keeping ticket prices the same for online purchases for the 2023 season, as we know how difficult these times are for everyone in the economy.
Tickets will be on sale for Friday & Saturday night events — in the form of flex tickets. Opening day is Sunday, May 7 and the first Fast Friday of the season will be May 26.
Fans may purchase tickets to any normal Friday or Saturday race and not have a date on them with flex tickets — you can pick the day you come during the season without being locked in now! Please note these are not eligible for special events like the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour or Thrill Shows.
Online ticket prices for Saturday events will remain at $15, while day of sales will go up to $18 for the 2023 season for normal race events. Tickets for special events are different.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour tickets are $35 online or $38 at the gate on race day. Thrill Show tickets are $25 online or $28 day of at the event. For all Thrill Shows, front gates will open at 2:30PM for those who have online tickets already purchased and 3:30PM for those who need to purchase that day. Shows begins at 5PM for Thrill Shows.
Seekonk Speedway looks forward to releasing the full 2023 schedule as soon as it is complete but would like to begin selling tickets to help you with the perfect holiday gift!
For more information on Seekonk Speedway and to purchase tickets NOW for some of the most exciting action during our 2023 season visit SeekonkSpeedway.com.
The Classic Car Show gives you the perfect reason to start the season at Seekonk Speedway right from the first green flag! Headlining the day before Opening Day, this special show takes place in our front parking lot, showcasing cars from the past & present. While you do, Seekonk’s NASCAR racing divisions take to the track for practice before competitive action begins, with admission free into the grandstands. Fans can also check out a special burnout drags, including a selection of cars from the show, to kick off the afternoon! |
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Hirschman Clinches Seventh Tri-Track Title; DJ Shaw Wins ACT Race & Championship; Burns Pockets $2,000 in INEX Legends
By Souza Media
SEEKONK, Mass. – Saturday’s Seekonk Speedway season-finale hosted three divisions of New England short-track racing, with two champions crowned, and one driver keeping the hometown crowd on the edge of their seats in two different races.
In the headliner of the afternoon, Anthony Nocella topped the final race of the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series season, scoring his first victory of his career with the series. Nocella’s Seekonk triumph was a long time coming – as the driver of the No. 92 had finished at the front of the field at the third-mile multiple times, in multiple different modified divisions.
Nocella took the lead from early race dominator Chuck Hossfeld for the final time on lap 69, and drove away to the victory. Hossfeld finished second, driving for Stephen Kopcik, while Matt Hirschman wrapped the podium in third. Nocella’s victory marked the sixth different winner in seven Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series events for the 2022 season – only Hirschman ended the season as a multiple-time winner.
With his podium, Hirschman locked up the series title for the seventh time by more than 40 points over his closest challengers. In another season filled with winning and top-five finishes across the Northeast, Hirschman rocketed back to title form with Tri-Track – one of the most competitive Modified touring divisions in the region.
Kyle Bonsignore and Woody Pitkat finished the top-five in the 100-lap event. In qualifying heat racing earlier in the day, the field was trimmed from 43 down to 29 cars who started the main event. In the Pepsi Challenge heat races, Matt Galko, Hirschman, Sam Rameau and Pitkat picked up $300 each for winning their respective heat. In the two Pepsi Challenge consi races, veteran Todd Szegedy and Rob Murphy picked up $300 each.
In the 100-lap penultimate race of the season for the American-Canadian Tour, the final 30 laps was a showdown between eventual series champion DJ Shaw and Seekonk Speedway Late Model regular Jacob “Rowdy” Burns. It was Burns who took the lead early, but Shaw charged from the bottom of the top-10 to the front quickly, and challenged for the lead in the final stages. The two swapped the lead back and forth for the final circuits, and on the final lap, as the field crossed for the white flag, Burns was out front. However, it was Shaw who would dive to the bottom and make the pass, edging Burns as the finish by .068 seconds. As a local regular, Burns was looking to become the first track standout to beat the invading ACT Tour drivers in the 17th race in the history of ACT at Seekonk, but came up just a tick short. Alexandre Tardiff finished third, followed by Jason Corliss and Tom Carey III in a 32-car starting field.
Burns was the winner of the day in the $2,000 to win, 30-lap INEX Legends Cars race – holding off a hard-charging Mason Tessier in the final few feet to win by inches. Burns and Tessier swapped the lead back and forth themselves for many of the late laps, with Tessier trying the bottom in the final corner, but coming up just short. Jase Mongeon, Jake Silvia and Brendan LaBelle finished the top-five in the 27-car starting field, with a purse of over $7,000 distributed post-race.
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Barre, VT — The next leg of the Southern New England Swing Triple Crown for the American-Canadian Tour comes down to Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway this Saturday, October 22nd with the Haunted Hundred. Once again alongside the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series, the ACT Haunted Hundred is expected to be yet another legendary showdown between the Touring stars of Quebec and New England against a stout field of hometown favorites with the 2022 season quickly coming to a close.
Currently in the cat-bird seat, leading the American-Canadian Tour points, is a driver who has seen plenty of ups and downs at the Cement Palace. Center Conway, New Hampshire’s D.J. Shaw narrowly won the 2021 Haunted Hundred and the 2021 American-Canadian Tour before being edged in a final lap dogfight with fellow New England touring legend Ben Rowe. This time around, Shaw holds a strong lead but don’t look for the 04VT Ford Mustang playing it safe on Saturday, the A.H. Fence team will be there to win.
On another hot stream, the ‘Fireball’ rookie from Notre-Dame-des-Pins, Quebec is looking to take down his first American-Canadian Tour win this Saturday night. Alexendre Tardif may have the Rookie of the Year title all sewn up, but he’s still hungry for more. Currently second-in-points behind Shaw, it may take a miracle to get him to the top but the only trophy he’s missing on his mantle this season is the elusive first win. Look for Tardif out front on Saturday.
A pair of Massachusetts hot shoes will also be hard to keep your eyes off. Both Tom Carey III and Derek Gluchacki were in contention all day one year ago before late incidents stole away the chance to join the Haunted Hundred winner’s circle. Both are also looking to keep up their top spots in the Southern New England Swing Triple Crown after their 1,2 finish at Thompson Speedway two weeks ago. The three-race series will close out the final three events of the American-Canadian Tour season with a $3,000 purse to be spread amongst the top three who compete in all three Southern New England events. Looking for redemption, and eyeing their share of the Triple Crown bonus, both Gluchacki and Carey are coming into Seekonk with something to prove.
After a hard last-lap crash turned him into instant icon status at the third-mile oval just weeks ago, 2022 Seekonk Speedway champion Mark Jenison has filed his Haunted Hundred entry as has one of the top Thunder Road Speedbowl Late Model rookies with Stephen Martin ready to haul south from Craftsbury Common, Vermont. Officials expect several Seekonk Late Model regulars to join the fray, each looking to be the first regular to ever take the American-Canadian Tour win in the sanctioning bodies 17th visit to the Cement Palace.
The American-Canadian Tour returns to Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway on Saturday, October 22nd for the Haunted Hundred alongside the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series and the INEX Legend Cars. The penultimate event for the American-Canadian Tour brings the championship down to the ‘Cement Palace,’ a wild card oval where anything can happen as drivers set themselves up for the championship Shoreline 150 at New London-Waterford Speedbowl on Saturday, October 29th.
For more information about the American-Canadian Tour, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, [email protected], or visit www.acttour.com. You can also get updates on Facebook and Twitter at @ACTTour.
Story by Souza Media
SEEKONK, Mass. – Seekonk Speedway will roar to life for the final time in 2022 this weekend, as the Action Track of the East is set to host the championship event for the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series in the annual Haunted Hundred. On top of 100 laps for the ground-pounding Modifieds worth $6,000 to win, the American-Canadian Tour also returns to Seekonk for their penultimate race of the season, and the INEX Legends Cars join the card for a $2,000 to win, 30-lap race.
Set to chase his seventh career Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series championship, Matt Hirschman enters the race up by 27 points over Matt Swanson, with Chase Dowling third, 28 markers behind. Based on the Tri-Track points system, Hirschman has a good shot at locking up the crown, and a finish of 17th or better will cement it as his for another year.
Swanson and Dowling are the two mathematical contenders – not only to race him for the title – but also to compete for the win. Dowling is a former Seekonk winner (defending Haunted Hundred winner) and also has one victory in the 2022 season. Swanson hasn’t won on the Tri-Track circuit yet, but has top-10 finishes in four events this year.
Of the list of entered drivers – now jumping over 40 – multiple top names will be at the track on Saturday. Anthony Nocella, Ron Silk, Ronnie Williams, Woody Pitkat, Jake Johnson, Todd Szegedy, Matt Galko, Sam Rameau, Kyle Bonsignore, Les Hinckley, Chris Pasteryak, Austin Beers and Late Model standout Derek Gluchacki are among those entered.
The series traditional scuff session will be followed by heat races and necessary consi events to set the field for 100-laps in the season-finale. The total purse for the event will again rise over $40,000 – meaning the two Seekonk events combined this season will pay out over $85,000.
If the conclusion of the American-Canadian Tour race at the 2021 Haunted Hundred is any indication, fans will not want to miss their 100-lap race on Saturday. Last year, DJ Shaw and Ben Rowe battled down to the final corner to decide the win and the championship, with some beating and banging, and a thrilling finish. Even though this event won't decide their 2022 title, it will still be a battle between Seekonk weekly Late Model regulars and ACT stars. On the ACT front, names like Shaw, Alexandre Tardiff, Gluchacki, Erick Sands and Cody Leblanc are at the front of their standings and all expected to be top contenders.
On the Seekonk front, names like Vinnie Arrenegado, Richie Murray, Ryan Flood, Jacob Burns, Connor Souza, Reese Bogue and others are expected to try and defend the home turf.
The $2,000 to win, 30-lap INEX Legends Cars race is drawing attention from across New England, and also from Seekonk local contenders. Seekonk champion Devin Deshaies should be joined by names like Josh Parsons, Mason Tessier, Isaiah Newcomb, Jake Silvia, Richie Helger Jr., Nicholaus Bulkeley and others. Qualifying lineups will be set by a blind draw on race morning for their extra cash special.
Tickets for the Haunted Hundred are available in advance at SeekonkSpeedway.com, where fans can purchase today and skip the long lines on race day. Pit passes are also available in advance. Tickets are $30 for adults in general admission, with those from 6-12 just $10, and kids five and under free. Pit passes are $45 for just Saturday or $60 for a two-day pass.
Friday will be an optional practice session from 1-5 p.m., while pit gates open on Saturday at 8 a.m. and racing begins at 1:30 p.m.
For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media. For more information on the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series, visit MonacoModifieds.com and follow the series on Facebook.
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Pits open at 8am, Grandstands open at 11:30 and the action starts at 1:30 pm!
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Seekonk Speedway Features stories on the Stars and Cars that race at Seekonk Speedway
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